August 31, 2010

Pommes d’Amour

I promise this is not another post bemoaning my sad little tomato plants that never produced any tomatoes! I’m just trying to savor the last wonderful bits of summer and that includes the bounty of tomatoes that have been available in my local farm stands and markets.

Because they were believed to have aphrodisiac qualities in 17th century France, these glorious fruits were known as “love apples” or pommes d’amour. How do you like them love apples? And we’ve all heard the on-going argument of to-may-to vs. to-mah-to. No matter what you call them, I call them wonderful! I froze a small batch of stewed tomatoes for soups and chili this winter. I really want to go all out next year and can some too.

{then i munched on these fried greenies at a delicious local eatery…i promise there is a healthy food under all that batter…the southern beau said these were the best he’d ever had, but i say my me-me’s hold that title!}

Here is a quick and easy tomato recipe if you are looking for something with a bit of a twist…

Chevre Tomatoes

Halve 2 tomatoes horizontally and shake out the seeds. Place the halves cut side up on a broiler pan, salt lightly and broil until sizzling (about 3 minutes). Sprinkle 3 ounces of crumbled goat cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and top with a few grinds of pepper. Broil a while longer until the cheese softens. Sprinkle with chopped fresh oregano. Yum!